My 9/11 Memory

September 11, 2001 is a day none of us will ever forget.

Before sharing my own experience, I want to acknowledge those who suffered the greatest loss: the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives, their families and loved ones, and the first responders who ran toward danger. Nothing about my experience compares to that loss. This is simply my personal memory of the aftermath of that horrific day.

Hours Before the Attacks

My wife, Sabina, and our two young daughters were travelling through U.S. airspace and landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport sometime after midnight on September 11.

We lived in Vancouver, Canada which is about 3 hours drive north of Seatac airport. I had driven down to pick them up, as I often did when Sabina travelled with the girls to visit family in Atlanta. Flying from Seattle was considerably cheaper in those days.

Because our daughters were still toddlers, I didn't want to drive them all the way to Vancouver in the middle of the night. I booked us a hotel across from the airport, possibly the DoubleTree, so we could get some sleep and drive home in the morning.

We got to bed around 3 AM.

"Turn on the TV"

Around 6 AM, my cell phone started ringing.

Family in Atlanta were calling, which was unusual at that hour. We were roaming in the U.S., so normally we wouldn't answer because of the expensive roaming charges back then. But the calls were unusual enough that I picked up.

The first question was:

"Did Sabina and the kids make it okay?"

Then came:

"Turn on the TV."

And the rest is history.

We watched in disbelief as the horrifying images unfolded.

As we were about to checkout, we learned that the U.S.-Canada border had been sealed and that flights destined for Seattle were being diverted to Vancouver. Had their flights arrived any later, Sabina and the girls might have ended up in Vancouver while I was stranded alone in Seattle.

We checked out of the hotel and headed north toward the border while getting the update on the radio. Our plan was to hang out or stay near the border in Bellingham, WA.

Waiting in Bellingham

We stopped at a Denny's near Bellis Fair Mall and watched the television coverage in horror as the same images were replayed over and over. Our daughters were too young to understand the seriousness of what had happened. They simply watched the television and asked questions. Eventually, we heard on local radio that Canadians were being allowed to cross the border. So we headed toward Peace Arch.

The Teddy Bears

About a mile from the border, we were stopped by U.S. Marshals.

They asked where we'd been, where we were going, and what we were carrying. They searched the vehicle and noticed two very large boxes.

Sabina's family had given our girls two enormous teddy bears. They were too big to fit in the luggage, so they had been packed separately in boxes.

The Marshals wanted to inspect them.

We opened the boxes and let them check the contents.

The situation was understandably intimidating, but I remember one of the Marshals making a point of talking to the girls and keeping them calm while the search was taking place.

Eventually, we were cleared to continue.

There was a huge backup of trucks and traffic at the border, but we were relieved.

We were going home.

Crossing into Canada was a very different experience. The Canadian border officers were friendly, and after everything we'd experienced that day, that stayed with me.

What Changed After 9/11

I went back to work, but not long afterward I received a layoff notice. My AV Integration company had lost some local and U.S. contracts amid the financial fallout following 9/11. 

I never knew for certain why I was selected. I wondered whether being Muslim played a role, or whether there simply wasn't enough work for me. As I remember it, I was the only person let go while other employees with similar or fewer qualifications remained.

I filed for the Emploment Insurance, but before I could get very far, the company rehired me a few weeks later.

I'm grateful they did.

At the time, I had been considering returning to my old profession of draperies, the same field I was working in when I nearly lost my life in the 1990s.

Instead, I continued in technology, eventually moving into IT and later returning to AV. That path ultimately led me to my position at Douglas College, a career I'm incredibly proud of today.

That's not a positive outcome of 9/11. There is no positive spin on such a tragedy. It is simply the path my life took afterward.

A Different Border

Before 9/11, crossing the Canada-U.S. border was almost an afterthought.

We would drive to Seattle without passports, walk casually through Peace Arch Park, and often fly from SEA because it was cheaper. We'd stay at a Park & Stay hotel and even fill up on gas and groceries on the way home to save money.

After 9/11, all of that changed.

Crossing the border became more complicated, particularly for people like me. I wasn't necessarily denied entry, but I was often pulled aside while officers made additional inquiries. 

We learned to carry all our documents and travel information and to allow plenty of extra time.

Eventually, things began getting easier again.

Until Trump arrived.

But that's another story.

Looking Back

September 11, 2001 changed the world.

For my family, it also became a moment that changed how we travelled, how we experienced the Canada-U.S. border, and how we saw the world around us.

I don't share this story to compare my experience with those who suffered the unimaginable loss of that day. I share it because millions of ordinary people experienced 9/11 and its aftermath in ways that rarely make it into the history books.

This is simply my memory of where I was, who I was with, and what happened to us in the hours and years that followed.

Never forget.